This land is your land!

[Flatrater]

This is disgusting to me knowing that a government could do this to anyone. If I owned a home there I would move out of state.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=45851



THIS LAND WAS YOUR LAND
City wants back rent
from Kelo residents
Expects homeowners who lost case to pay hundreds of thousands
<HR SIZE=1>Posted: August 20, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern


© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

In the adding insult to injury category, the city officials that triumphed over a group of Connecticut homeowners in a landmark Supreme Court property-rights case are expecting those residents to pay the local government rent dating back to the year 2000. The June 23 Supreme Court ruling in Kelo v. City of New London gave the town the approval to seize the residents' homes and transfer them to a private party for development of an office complex. In the highly controversial decision, the justices ruled 5-4 that the economic development resulting from the eminent domain action qualified as "public use" under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.

The city now says that since it won the case, the homeowners actually have been living on city property since 2000 when it first began condemnation procedures against them, so they must pay back rent – to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"It's a new definition of chutzpah: Confiscate land and charge back rent for the years the owners fought confiscation," wrote Jonathan O'Connell in the Fairfield County Weekly. Not only is the city demanding rent, but the buyout offers on the table are based on the market rate as it was in 2000, before most of the growth in the current real-estate bubble. The New London Development Corporation, the semi-public organization hired by the city to facilitate the deal, first addressed the rent issue in a June 2004 letter to residents, calling the alleged debt retroactive "use and occupancy" payments. "We know your clients did not expect to live in city-owned property for free, or rent out that property and pocket the profits, if they ultimately lost the case," the agency said. It warned that "this problem will only get worse with the passage of time," and that the city was prepared to sue for the money if need be. The Kelo case is named after Susette Kelo, who owns a single-family house in New London with her husband. Kelo was told she would owe around $57,000 in rent. "I'd leave here broke," Kelo told the weekly. "I wouldn't have a home or any money to get one. I could probably get a large-size refrigerator box and live under the bridge."

Matt Dery owns four houses on the building site, including the home his 87-year-old mother was born in and still lives in. Dery's past-due rent, according to the city, exceeds $300,000. It remains to be seen if a suit will be filed against the residents. "From a political standpoint, the city might be better off trying to reach some settlement with the homeowners," Jeremy Paul, an associate UConn law dean who teaches property law, told the paper.

[Rally Sport]

Dude that's totally f-ed up. What does the city expect by doing this? Showing others not to mess with them or something?

[tenguzero]

I think I would probably bar myself in the house and shoot anyone who tried to venture onto my property. Then I would sue the city for every penny I could get. I can only hope this would get overturned or something. What the hell is wrong with these F*ing judges? I don't hate "liberal" judges, I don't hate "conservative" judges -- what I DO hate is asshole judges. And apparently the Connecticut supreme court has 5 assholes stinking up its bench.

[KustmAce]

Originally Posted by tenguzero

I don't hate "liberal" judges, I don't hate "conservative" judges -- what I DO hate is asshole judges.

One of the smartest things Ive ever heard anyone say in here!

[MagicRat]

I agree. If a municipality can arbitrarily remove property rights and treat its taxpayers this way, I believe its time for a massive property tax revolt.
Don't pay your taxes until this kind of treatment stops.

[Tehvisseeus]

The whole situation is fucked up. I can only hope that SCOTUS wisens up and overturns the Kelo vs. New London.

[fredjacksonsan]

Those bastards.

B: "We're taking your land".

H(Homeowners): "Oh, no you're not"

B: Yes, we are.

H: We'll go to court.

Court: They can take it

H: OK, here ya go.

B: You owe us money.

WTF kind of B.S. is that??

[lazysmurff]

these residents need to:

A) find a decent lawyer, who can argue that the property was in limbo, due to court proceedings, and so had not technically entered the hands of the government until the supreme court decision.

B) get grassroots people behind them. In any given situation the public can reach a population point that exceeds that of the authorities. im sure there are plenty of anarcho/libertarian/"we hate government" college kids that would be willing to pitch tents in these people lawns and camp out by their house. do it.

C) throw up a big middle finger to the government and make them forcefully remove them from their houses. if anything will gain public sympathy and cause an outcry, its watching an 86 y/o grandma getting dragged from her house by a bunch of uniforms.

[twospirits]

Originally Posted by Tehvisseeus

The whole situation is fucked up. I can only hope that SCOTUS wisens up and overturns the Kelo vs. New London.

It was SCOTUS that actually made this happen in the first place on June 23 of this year by ruling in favor of New London.

I doubt they will overturn it any time soon. By the time it does (if it does), those homeowners would be out of a home and pennyless.

Chalk up one for the government. Bastards.

TS out

[Tehvisseeus]

Originally Posted by twospirits

It was SCOTUS that actually made this happen in the first place on June 23 of this year by ruling in favor of New London.

I doubt they will overturn it any time soon. By the time it does (if it does), those homeowners would be out of a home and pennyless.

Chalk up one for the government. Bastards.

TS out

Yup, you're right. Today SCOTUS refused to revise their decision.

[tenguzero]

http://www.ij.org/private_property/c...7_12_05pr.html

In particular about half way down:

"In Connecticut, state legislators and Gov. Jodi Rell called for a moratorium on the use of eminent domain by all Connecticut cities until the legislature can revise the law to protect property owners. The moratorium should put New London’s plans to take IJ’s clients’ homes on hold."


Let's hope that stands until this BS can be defeated.

[YogsVR4]

I hope Walmart decides it can make better use of Sutters propery then he can.

[lazysmurff]

i thought they were building a hotel on his land?

[AlmostStock]

How can the government own the land before the court even ruled? That makes no sense. As for paying rent, I don't think there were any leases involved here.

[Steel]

I say, let them take your property. Let them build whatever the hell they want. Then, the week after it's finished, burn it down. Then run and hide in argentina or something.